The Callum Witch Trials
by LilyInTheSkyWithDiamonds
Summary: Callum Sorenson has been expelled from Salem Witches' Institute for something she claims she did not do. Regardless, she is forced to prepare for life as a muggle. But when a second chance for her life in magic arises, she takes it in a heartbeat.
1. Look Down

"_Callum, you know I have no choice."_

"_-No, please, Headmistress, I swear it wasn't me!"_

"_I wish I could believe you, Callum, but the evidence is astounding-"_

"_No! Give me veritaserum, please, I'll prove to you-"_

"_You're allergic to veritaserum, Callum. No, I'm afraid my hands are tied. You are, as much as I wish you weren't, expelled from Salem Witches' Institute"_

Callum blinked back tears and ran faster. Thinking about her expulsion made her want to curl up on the sidewalk and sob, but she just kept running. The look on Headmistress Tamsay's face, the way her classmates all stared at her as she was escorted out, the way Alice and Quinn, her best friends, _refused _to look at her...

No. Callum swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed the incident out of her mind, letting the rock music she was listening to take over her thoughts. It wasn't long, however, until she was back in front Madame Voue's Home For Children. Madame Voue was a half-blood witch from France who ran an orphanage in Cincinnati. The home was open to both muggles and wizards, though the muggles were unaware that some of their fellows were different.

Callum had been living with Madame Voue since her parents died, when Callum was 8. Madame Voue was Callum's mother's best friend, and Callum was certain that the strong bond was what had kept Madame Voue from throwing her out after her expulsion a few months ago. Madame Voue was probably the only person who thought she was innocent.

Callum stood on the sidewalk for a long time, deliberating over whether it was a good idea to go in yet. She eventually decided on yes, it was safe, and she walked in.

She had been right to come in. When she'd left, the other girls were poring over their letters from Salem, the boys doing the same with their letters from the Lawrence Academy of Wizardry. Not able to stand the sight of it all, Callum had gone for a run. The letters were still strewn over the kitchen table, but at least there was less cheering. The kids must have gone outside.

Callum sat at the table with a glass of water. Unable to help herself, she pulled one of the Salem letters closer and began to read. It belonged to Eleanor Hotchkiss, a girl going into fifth year, same as Callum. She felt a pang while reading the booklist and saw an advanced potions book. Potions was her favorite subject, and she would never get the chance to brew anything ever again.

"You're only torturing yourself, reading zat.", said Madame Voue as the floated into the room. "Give me zat" She snatched the letter out of Callum's hand and cleared the table. Her French accent was very light, but it lingered, and every so often she would unconsciously sneak in a French word. It was a nice personality quirk that Callum loved.

"At least zis year you won't have to worry about buying your books. Ze high-school provides all of your books for free." Callum's heart sank. She knew that Madame Voue was only trying to look at the bright side, but the thought of going to a public school where she would be taught Algebra and author's purpose made her chest ache with longing for her spellbooks.

Five minutes later, Callum was still moping over main idea when there was a rapping at the window. A large brown owl was sitting in the flower box. Madame Voue opened the window and the owl hopped in, staring at Callum. Madame Voue untied the letter, gave the owl a treat, and it flew away again. Callum saw Madame Voue's eyes widen as she scanned the envelope. "Sacrebleu", she muttered to herself.

"What?" Callum asked, curious and a bit fearful. "What's wrong?"

Madame Voue shook her head. "Ze letter, it is from Hogwarts." Callum gasped. "The wizarding school in Britain?" Madame Voue nodded, speechless. "Well, who's it for?" Callum persisted. "Do they want someone to transfer? _Say something!_"

But all Madame Voue could manage was to hand the letter over and weakly, say, "It is for you." Sure enough, the letter was addressed _Callum Sorensen, Madame Voue's Home for Children, Cincinnati, Ohio._

Callum's stomach lurched. What did Hogwarts, the alma mater of the Big Three, want with her? She had heard that their gamekeeper was a former student who had been expelled, did they want to hire her? Hands shaking, she opened the envelope.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Miss Sorensen,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Roger Davies

Roger Davies, Deputy Headmaster

On the next page was a list of equipment, along with another letter.

Dear Miss Sorenson,

Seeing as you have successfully completed the first four years of your witching

education, we have decided to place you in standard OWL level classes. However, you will participate in several first year activities, such as sorting and a flying evaluation by our instructor. You will be allowed to try out for the House quidditch team as well as visit Hogsmeade village, provided that the attached permission form is signed by your guardian.

Unfortunately, there are a few differences in the classes offered at Hogwarts and those offered at Salem. Please fill out the attached form and return it as soon as possible so we are able to set your classes.

Sincerely,

Roger Davies

Roger Davies, Deputy Headmaster

Callum had to force herself to breath. She could go back to school. Granted, it was across the Atlantic ocean, and she'd be the only new kid in a class of people who had known each other for four years already, but she wouldn't have to give up on magic. She was glad that Salem didn't snap wands, like she knew they did in Europe.

She scanned the list of offered courses. She wouldn't be able to take Household Magic anymore, but she didn't mind that. She and Alice had often joked that that class should have been called Housewife Training. Thinking of Alice made her chest tighten, so she focused on the list.

Potions, charms, defense against the dark arts, ancient runes, transfiguration, herbology, astronomy – All classes she loved. She would still need to take History of Magic, which she did not look forward to. She still needed a class to fill in for lack of Household Magic. Muggle studies – Useless. Divination – Just for a laugh. Care of Magical Creatures? Now _that _could be fascinating.

Callum had been so busy poring over the list, she hadn't noticed Madame Voue staring at her. "Well?" Callum looked up at her, and broke into a huge grin. "They want me!" She said, laughing.

Madame Voue just looked at her blankly. "Zey want you to what?"

"They want me to come to Hogwarts! This is an acceptance letter, Elise!" Callum was the only kid Madame Voue ever let call her Elise.

"You mean..."

"I get to go back to school!"

Finally, Madame Voue smiled. "Magnifique!" That was all Callum understood, because Madame Voue had started chattering away in French. Callum hardly cared. It didn't matter what her guardian was saying. All that mattered was that her life as a witch had not yet ended.

**Well hello.**

** The first chapter of a new story is always exciting, but for me its also nerve-wracking. Will people read it, will they like it, etc. Also, the question of **_**will I actually finish it?**_** I seem to have problems with that. **

** Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far. If you didn't already know, this will be set next-gen, featuring such characters as Albus Potter, Rose Weasley, and the ever popular Scorpius Malfoy, plus my lovely OC, Callum. The POV's will be mixed, never fear.**

** One thing you should know about me is that I care a disgusting amount about what others think of me, and if it seems like people aren't really enjoying my story, I will probably move on. I'm not expecting to get like 1K reviews or anything (although don't let that discourage you) but it really means a lot to know that people give a shit, ya know?**

** My next point: Swearing will exist in this series. If that offends you, I am deeply sorry but you will probably want to find a different story. I just can't picture Scorpius or Albus saying "Oh shucks" or "Darn it!". So yeah. Bad words to come.**

** JSYK, not all my A/Ns will be this long. Probably. Hopefully. This is just an introduction. **

** Additionally, I'd like to think that future chapters will be longer, but again, introduction, and I tend to write fairly short chapters. I blame THAT on James Patterson's **_**Maximum Ride**_** series being my motivation to start writing, a fact I am not entirely proud of.**

** This concludes todays A/N, which feels about as long as the chapter itself. Reviews are better than Hogwarts acceptance letters.**

** Love, Lily. **


	2. There's No Cure Like Travel

Scorpius Malfoy stared out the window of his compartment. He watched families hug and kiss and cry, and felt a small pang of jealousy. It had been years since his parents had come to see him off, four actually, as his first year at Hogwarts was enough to turn his father against him. As if being sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin wasn't enough, Scorpius had then gone and made friends with Rose Weasley and Albus Potter. His father had been furious, but it shouldn't have been a surprise. Scorpius was intelligent and curious, and Albus and Rose were his housemates, of course they'd be friends!

Scorpius felt his breathing get ragged and forced himself to calm down. He thought about the brighter side of things: his mother hadn't let his father kick him out, and Rose and Al were fantastic friends.

The door of Scorpius' mostly empty compartment slid open. It was almost as if thinking about his friends had brought them here, for there in the doorway stood Al and Rose, laughing about something Rose's brother had said.

"Hullo, Scorp!"said Albus, still grinning. "What's new with you then?"

Scorpius stood to hug them both. He was tall and thin, and he was at least 6 inches taller than Albus, and likely an entire foot taller than Rose. "Nothing, luckily." It was his way of informing them that he hadn't been disowned, yet. "You two were shoddy pen pals this year, what's that about?"

It was true: Al and Rose had collectively written Scorpius three letters that summer, a new low. Scorpius had kept himself busy enough to not be too bothered by it, but he was still curious.

"I know, I'm so sorry, Scorp. Everything just got so busy, what with studying for OWLs and Teddy's wedding, and I'm sorry again that you weren't invited to that, truly I am." Rose was overly apologetic, as per usual, and only stopped after Scorpius reassured her several times that he really wasn't upset. Albus merely grinned and said, "Well, I was _so_ busy with all the girls, and the partying, you know how it is." Scorpius chuckled. "Yeah, we all know how popular you are with the ladies, Al. Like, oh, I dunno, Siobhan Finnigan?" Scorpius smirked.

"OI! You promised to never bring that up again!" Albus flushed red and glanced meaningfully at Rose, who was looking between to the two boys, bewildered.

"What are you talking about? What happened with Siobhan?" Siobhan Finnigan was a Gryffindor girl in their year, who had been adopted by her uncle Seamus and his husband Dean, who were friends of both the Weasley's and the Potter's, after her parents died when she was a baby. She had been raised calling them each Dad, though technically they weren't. She was a nice girl, and one of the trio's few friends outside of Ravenclaw house.

"It was _nothing_", Albus muttered, glaring at Scorpius. But Scorpius wasn't quite finished with him yet. "Oh, don't be shy, Albus! It's nothing to be ashamed of! Or, maybe it is..." Scorpius gave his mate one last grin before turning to Rose. "After Ancient Runes once last year, Al insinuated not-so-subtly that Siobhan might want to join him in a broom cupboard after dinner."

"Albus Severus!" Rose exclaimed, turning to look incredulously at her cousin, who was flushing deeply.

"Oh, don't worry, Rose, she declined." Scorpius continued. "In fact, I believe she did so with a hearty slap, isn't that right Albus?" Scorpius finished his tale, grinning proudly.

"I should throttle you!" Albus managed, his face still scarlet and his glasses askew.

"I'm just speaking the truth, Albus." Scorpius said gleefully, an uncommon emotion for him.

"You really shouldn't have told me, Scor." Rose said, but she was giggling.

At that moment, their compartment door slid open again, revealing none other than Siobhan Finnigan.

"Hello, you lot" she said, and looked down at them with an eyebrow raised. Albus was still blushing profusely, looking like a small child in time-out, Rose was staring at Siobhan with her mouth open in shock, and Scorpius was looking from Siobhan to Albus and back again, smiling wider still.

"Er... Have I missed something?"

Elsewhere, Callum was searching for am empty compartment where she could sit and try to catch up on homework. A second letter had come a few weeks after the first, listing her summer homework but giving her a pardon if she couldn't get it all done. Regardless, she was determined to start the year on the same level as her classmates.

Unfortunately, it was proving difficult to find a compartment that wasn't already filled with students. Some handsome seventh year boy had taken her trunk aboard for her, but she had since lost track of him. She was just thankful that she had put some of her books in her bag that she carried with her now.

As she crossed from one car to the next, she slammed into a red headed girl, and they both fell to the ground. "Oh, Merlin! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" The girl was staring down at Callum.

Callum rose to her feet, rubbing the back of her head. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Are you ok?" The girl was looking at her curiously.

"Are you American then?" A boy asked. Callum looked to her left and saw three people staring out at the two girls. They looked to be about her age. The boy who had spoken was very tall, with straight, white blonde hair. His friend looked up at him and smacked him on the back of the head. "That's real polite of you, Scor. You've been doing well with that today." The second boy chided. He was tall too, but not even close to his blonde friend, His hair was black and messy, and he had a pair of glasses perched precariously close to the end of his nose.

"Um, no, it's fine. Yes, I am American." Callum said to the four teenagers. "I'm Callum." The others introduced themselves, and the red-head, whom Callum now knew to call Rose, went scurrying off to a prefect's meeting.

"So, would you like to come in?" asked Albus to Callum. "We've got room, if you'd like." Callum looked at the three strangers, and then smiled and nodded. She'd already gotten most of the homework done, anyway.

She entered, and the other girl, Siobhan, closed the door behind them. Siobhan looked like a pixie, with her petite frame, short sandy colored hair, slanted green eyes and lilting laugh.

Callum took the free spot next to Albus, across from Scorpio. "So," Scorpius said, leaning forward expectantly. "What year are you, anyway?"

"I'm a fifth year, what about you?" The other exchanged glances. "Er, so are we," Siobhan said hesitantly.

Callum caught on fairly quickly. "Oh! Are you worried that you don't know who I am? Don't worry, I'm a transfer." She had guessed correctly, and the three Brits all relaxed visibly.

"So where'd you come from then?" Scorpius asked. Callum looked back at him, eyebrows raised. This one wasn't much for tact, was he? "I used to attend Salem Witches' Institute, in Portland, Oregon. That's on the west coast", she added hurriedly.

"Why'd you leave?" Scorpius again. This time when Callum looked at him, she glared.

"Look, I know that y'all are curious, but I really don't want to talk about Salem, okay?" It came out harsher than she meant for it to, and she regretted it instantly. Now she sounded guilty. Callum took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm sorry. It's just that something... bad happened to me at Salem last year, and I had to leave, and I really don't like talking about it."

That was better. Siobhan was nodding sympathetically, and Albus gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder. Callum smiled back at him, and then looked across at Scorpius. His expression was one of repressed curiosity. She could tell that he wanted to ask her more questions, but he was forcing himself to be quiet. She appreciated that, at least, although she couldn't help but wonder how long his silence would last.

She decided to change the subject. "So what houses are you guys in?" She had read _Hogwarts: A History_ in two days in an effort to not be completely clueless when she arrived. She was familiar with each of the houses' values, though she didn't know of the connotations of each.

"Well, I'm a Gryffindor," said Siobhan, a bit proudly. "Just like my dads."

"Dads? Like... Plural?" Callum asked. "Yep." Siobhan said, staring at her, daring Callum to make some remark.

"Well... Alright." Callum noticed Siobhan relax a bit, and felt better. She turned to Albus. "What about you?"

Albus looked uncomfortable. "Well, er, I've got a mum and a dad-"

"No!" Callum laughed. "I meant what house are you in?"

"Oh. I like that question better. Right, well Scor and I are both Ravenclaw. And my cousin, Rosie, who you met before, y'know..." He gestured to the hallway. "She's Ravenclaw too."

"Right, so let me see if I've got it then. You guys-" She gestured to Albus and Scorpius "- must be really smart, and then Siobhan, you must be courageous, right?"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it." Albus said. "Do you know about Hufflepuff and Slytherin?"

Callum chewed her bottom lip. "Hufflepuffs are loyal, and honest and virtuous, and Slytherins are ambitious and clever."

"More or less," Albus said. "But everyone knows that Hufflepuffs are soft. And you definitely don't want to be in Slytherin." He warned.

"What? Why?" Callum glanced around.

Siobhan shifted uncomfortably. "Well, pretty much every dark wizard in Britain has come from Slytherin. _Most_ of them, not all." She added, with a nervous glance at Scorpius. "And very few good wizards were Slytherin. Although," Another glance at Scorpius. "That isn't to say that all Slytherins are _bad_, of course they aren't, it's just-"

"Siobhan," Scorpius interjected, rolling his eyes. "It's fine. Calm down." He had shifted so that his back was against the window, and his head lolled lazily, so that he was looking now at Callum. "My dad was in Slytherin, and he was a Death Eater when he was a kid. He's reformed now, or so he says. He wasn't exactly _pleased_ to hear that his only son had defected from the long family line of Slytherins."

Callum nodded, and the conversation shifted, though to what she was uncertain. She thought about the sorting ceremony that was to take place shortly after their arrival. She would most like to be in Ravenclaw or Gyffindor, and she wouldn't mind being in Hufflepuff. In fact, before the conversation she'd just had, she would've thought that Slytherin would be where she fit best. But if Slytherin had a reputation for producing dark wizards, she had to stay away. Imagine: The new girl, who had mysteriously transferred from across the ocean, with no known reason for her transfer, sorted into the house of... of evil people? No. Absolutely not. She'd do whatever it took to get into a good house, a respectable house.

Whatever it took.

Several hours later, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. Rose stepped off and searched for her friends, whom she hadn't seen since her prefects meeting that morning. She was hoping that either Scor or Albus had become the other Ravenclaw prefect, but no such luck. She figured that Albus got up to too much mischief, and that McGonagall thought that nobody would listen to the kid of an ex Death Eater. She didn't know why else Dev Kapoor, a scrawny Indian boy, would get the job over the two of them. Dev was plenty smart, of course, probably the smartest in their year, but he was short for their age, almost as short as Siobhan, and he wore thick glasses. Basically, he was more likely to be the victim of a bully than one to confront the bully.

"Rosie!" Rose was jerked from her train of thought by a voice behind her. She turned around to see Scorpius walking the wrong way through the throng of students heading for the carriages. "Rose!"

He finally reached her. "Hey, Scorp, I've been looking for you everywhere. Where are the others?"

"Al and Siobhan went to find a carriage, and Callum – the girl you flattened earlier – went off with Hagrid and the first years. She still has to get sorted and everything."

Rose nodded. "I guess we should find Siobhan and Al then, yeah?" Rose said, and started off towards the carriages.

"Wait, Rosie." Scorpius grabbed her wrist, and she turned back to him. "I think we need to talk."

"What about?" Rose asked, though she knew the answer. She couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice.

"We need to talk about last year. What happened was-"

"No, Scorpius, we don't." Said Rose, firmly. "It was last year, okay? It was a long time ago."

"Rosie, it was _three months ago_. I know that's why you didn't write, okay?"

"_Stop_ calling me that!" Rose yanked her wrist out of his hand. Scorpius looked pained. Rose sighed and tried to calm herself down. "My name is Rose, Scor, I'm not five."

Scorpius laughed lightly. "I know your not five, _Rose_. If you were, we wouldn't be having this problem. Or maybe our problem would be much bigger..."

"Scorpius." Rose snapped. Her friend sobered immediately, and a look of desperation appeared on his narrow face.

"Rose, please don't do this. Please..."

"No, Scorpius." Rose said again, straightening back up. "We do not need to talk about it, not now, not ever. And we won't. Now, let's catch up with the others."

Rose left, and Scorpius followed morosely. He'd agreed begrudgingly to forget about it, but if their conversation on the train proved anything, it was that Scorpius was not keen on keeping that kind of promise.

**Dun, dun, DUNNNNN.**

** I hope that was at least mildly exciting. To my first reviewer, MidnightSeas16, thank you so much for that review. It was one of the sweetest ones I've ever gotten, so thank you. I didn't see it until I was about halfway through this chapter, so I guess I answered most of your questions already.**

** I put mystery as one of the genres for this story, because in a way I suppose it is. The mystery will involve the reader more than the characters, (as opposed to a story where the characters are actually trying to solve a mystery) and it will revolve around Callum's past. I'm not sure how long that will last though, so never fear, more plot elements to come – as soon as I figure them out.**

** A few things about Siobhan: first, I wasn't really planning on another main OC. She just kind of happened. I would like to write a bit from her POV, so that adds 5 total, 3 of which have already happened. Also, to all the non-Deamus shippers out there, so sorry. I just wanted to establish that she has 2 dads, and also I absolutely adore Deamus. Never fear, that won't be too big a part of the story.**

** Additional thanks to JustMeMarissa for your review. Proof that just 2 words can make a person smile, so thank you very much :). Also, shoutout to both previously mentioned users for following the story. Very much appreciated.**

** I think I deserve some props too for cranking out 2 chapters in 2 days. **

** Reviews are better than that PB&J sandwich in which the proportions are perfect. :)**

** Love, Lily.**


	3. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

Callum felt very out of place.

She supposed that as the oldest in the group (besides, of course, Hagrid) she should feel superior to the mass of 11-year-olds that encompassed her as they made their way down the sloping path to the lake. However, she could see them staring and whispering at the much older girl. Who knew that first years could be so intimidating?

Callum glared at a group of giggling boys, making a point of looking down on them. She must

have seemed threatening enough because they quickly sobered and sped up. Callum allowed herself a small smile.

The trail began to flatten out as they went around a bend. As soon as they were clear of the trees, the new kids got their first glimpse of Hogwarts. Callum heard gasps all around her, and she couldn't contain her own as her eyes fell upon the castle for the first time. Its windows glittered with candlelight, and the moon that rose beyond the castle gave it a navy silhouette that wavered mysteriously as Callum looked upon it. Its towers rose, spiraling and jutting out from every point, turrets peeking out from columns of stone, thatched roofs sloping outward from the castle's highest points. Callum felt herself grinning like a fool, but she found she didn't care if the little kids were looking. She was staring at a castle; at her _home_.

She tore her gaze away to follow the others to a dock. Gracefully as she could, she clambered into one of the small boats. Small as they were, only four children could fit into each. Callum was larger than the average eleven year old, however, and so in her boat she took the place of two first years. The others in her boat were both girls. One was tall (for her age, at least; her head reached about to Callum's chin) and dark skinned, with high cheekbones and slanted eyes. She looked regal, and like she knew it. The other girl was short, pudgy, and noticeably uncomfortable.

"So," said the tall girl. "Why are you here? No other older students came by boat. What makes you so special?"

Callum sighed. It was going to be like this for weeks, she realized, until people got bored. "Aren't you astute?" She said dryly.

The girl arched one eyebrow. "So you're American. Transfer then. Did you get expelled?" Damn. The girl _was _astute.

Callum deliberated how to respond. This girl was clever, and Callum didn't trust her. "Yes, I'm American. Yes, I'm a transfer. No, I didn't get expelled." A blatant lie, then. "Some shit went down, and I had to leave. McGonnagall let me in. That's that."

She could tell that the girl didn't believe her, but her attention was drawn away as the boats reached the opposite shore. Now she had to crane her neck to see the castle, and so she didn't mind as Hagrid led them up a different path. She walked several feet behind the girls from her boat, who had started a tentative conversation.

"So what's your family?" The tall girl asked.

"Er, Anderson."

"Anderson? What then, you've got a muggle dad and a witch mum?"

"No..."

"Is your mum one of those new age types that keeps her maiden name?"

"No..."

"Then what? Anderson isn't a wizard name, is it?"

"No, it's not. Both of my parents are- are muggles."

Callum watched as the girl stiffened. It looked as if she stopped for a moment, but if so, it was virtually imperceptible. The conversation died, and the two girls continued the walk in uncomfortable silence.

Callum decided that the tall girl was a pureblood, and not the nice kind, like her own father's family. These days, Callum was about as pure as it got, until you went back on her mother's family tree, where her great-grandmother had married a muggle. She detested those purebloods who thought they were so much better than the rest of the world. It was inevitable that within a few generations, pureblood families would be so intermarried they'd be forced to marry unpure, or get all... incest-y.

"All righ', everyone!" Hagrid bellowed, stirring Callum from her speculations of the genetic health of pureblood families. She hadn't even realized that they had come inside the castle. The entrance hall was as marvelous as you'd expect it, with huge hourglasses of varying jewels glittering inside. "Wait here, and Professor Davies will beh along in ah minute." And with that, Hagrid lumbered through two large doors, through which came a flood of happy noise.

Callum waited nervously as the little kids around her chattered excitedly. It was about time to be sorted; her entire fate at this school would be decided in minutes. She felt her heart begin to race, and she had to shut her eyes and force herself to breathe deeply, lest she hyperventilate.

It seemed like an eternity had passed by the time the aforementioned Professor Davies arrived to escort them into the Great Hall. He carried a stool and an old hat, and without much introduction, he opened the huge doors and led them in.

Callum knew people would stare. She had prepared herself, or so she thought. As it turned out, nothing could've prepared her for all the pairs of eyes on her as she walked down that aisle. She heard the hiss of whispers surge through the crowd. She could practically _smell_ the rumors starting. The walk took no more than thirty seconds, but it felt like hours. When Davies reached the front of the hall, he sat down the stool and placed the hat on top of it.

The hat began to sing.

It may have been more surprising to Callum if she could actually hear it. Her ears were filled with a rushing sound, as if she were not standing in the middle of a school hall, but rather in the middle of the Colorado river.

Applause began to beat through the thick deafness in Callum's ears as the song ended. Davies now held a list and began to read off of it.

"Anderson, Margaret!" He read in a clear voice. The nervous girl from Callum's boat walked up to the stool and sat down. Davies set the hat on her head, and the hall waited. Callum could see the small girl quivering, and felt sorry for her. Then, the tear in the brim of the hat split again, and the hat called out "HUFFLEPUFF!". Margaret scurried off to the closest table to their right, which had erupted in cheers.

Davies continued calling names, none of which Callum recognized. When "Simpson, Adele" was sorted into Slytherin, Callum knew she was next. Yet her heart still leapt when Davies read out "Sorenson, Callum!". Her breathing became haggard as she walked up to the stool. She kept her head up, despite the revival of the harsh whispering. She sat down, and Davies placed the hat on her head.

"_Ooh, you're a bit older, aren't you?"  
"Please, anywhere but Slytherin. Anywhere."_

_ "Anywhere but Slytherin eh? Let's see, Sorenson, you've got a dark past. You might find that Slytherin has the perfect people for you."_

_ "No, I didn't do anything, and I'm not a bad person! Please, don't put me in Slytherin."_

_ "Slyhterin isn't about being a bad person, Miss Sorenson. Don't go getting bigoted on your first day. You've got all the cunning, the ambition for Slytherin, you know."_

_ "I don't care what I've got, just put me anywhere else."_

_ "I seem to recall another wizard, many years ago, pleading to be put anywhere other than Slytherin. I still think it would've served him well, but I also think that anyone would agree that Harry Potter excelled in Gryffindor, so, if you're sure, I suppose it must be -"_

"RAVENCLAW!"

Relief surged like blood through Callum's veins, and she rose to meet her housemates. Although the cheers were more tentative than they'd been for the other students, Callum could not find it within herself to care. Albus waved her over from halfway down the table, and she hurried over to sit with him, Scorpius, and Rose.

"Well done, mate!" Said Albus, beaming. "I was hoping you'd join us!"

"So was I." Said Callum truthfully. She sat and watched with the others as the all the other new kids were sorted. The ceremony ended with "Zabini, Adrienne!", the pureblood girl from the boat ride. She was promptly sorted into Slytherin, where she went and sat next to an older boy and girl who must've been her older siblings. No sooner had Adrienne sat down then heaping plates of food appeared on the tables.

And so the feast began.

Later, Scorpius followed his friends and Callum to the doors of the Great Hall. He supposed that he'd start referring to her as a friend soon, but he didn't want to jump the gun. Scorpius hesitated near the doorway.

"Oi! Malfoy, you coming?" It was Albus. "No," Scorpius said, and gestured towards the Slytherin table.

"Ah, yeah. I keep forgetting that you've got friends in Slytherin. I think my subconscious is trying to block them out for good!" Scorpius rolled his eyes, but grinned nonetheless. His friend was swept through the doors before Scorpius could reply, and so he turned back to his friends from Slytherin.

Adrienne had gone ahead with her other Slytherin first years, and so Dorian and Yvonne Zabini strolled towards Scorpius with only each other. Draco, Scorpius' father, and Blaise, the twins' and Adrienne's father had been friends since their own days at Hogwarts, and so Scorpius, Yvonne, and Dorian had grown up together. Even when they were separated into different houses, the bond that had been formed in their childhood had remained strong, and Scorpius had a special place reserved in his life for the Zabini twins. They were both tall, Dorian taller than even Scorpius, and Yvonne barely two inches shorter. They were unmistakeably brother and sister, evident in not just the structure of their faces, but in the grace of their walk, the fluidity of their body language, and the calculating way their eyes scanned a person as they met. The twins were gorgeous, and they were fully aware.

"Scorpius," Dorian said, a smile gently tugging at his lips. "Have you gotten shorter?"

"Nah," Scorpiu returned, "I think your head must just be getting bigger." The two boys hugged. Then Scorpius turned to hug Yvonne.

"Enchanté, Scorpius" Yvonne said daintily as they hugged.

"Been working on your French then, Yvonne?" Scorpius asked. She grinned, and fake-haughtily answered, "Oui, et vous, Scorpius?"

"Vous savez que je n'ai jamais été bon à français." He said grinning.

"Alright, that's enough with the French, you two." Dorian said. "Mum's already pissed at me for not learning it like Von, I don't need the two of you using it to talk behind my back."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, but relented. When they reached the marble staircase, they turned to part ways, the twins down to the dungeons, and Scorpius up to Ravenclaw tower, but Yvonne spoke. "Scorpius, could I talk to you for a moment?"

Scorpius glanced down at Dorian, who walked off, calling back, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves a lot open, Dor," Yvonne retorted, and Dorian replied with a lazy flick of his hand as he continued to the dungeons.

"What's up, Yvonne?" Scorpius asked once they were alone.

"Well, the first Hogsmeade trip is in a couple weeks, I was just wondering if you'd like to go with me." Where another girl would likely stutter and look down, Yvonne exuded confidence. Needless to say, Scorpius was a bit taken aback.

"Er... You mean as a date?"

"Of course." Yvonne said as if it were nothing. "Our families have been waiting for us to get together for years, and you can't honestly say that our relationship is completely platonic."

Up until this point, Scorpius had thought he could.

"Anyway," Yvonne continued, "It's not as if you've got someone else, right?"

Scorpius began to protest, but then thought back to his conversation with Rose on the platform. She had made it very clear that the past was in the past, and that he should just let it go. So why not let it go with Yvonne? She was gorgeous, after all, and she was right in that it was planned in both of their families for them to end up together. So what was stopping him?

"No, there's no one else. Lets do it." He said, smiling.

"It's a date then," Yvonne smiled, and turned and strutted down the corridor.

Scorpius did not stay to watch her go.

Up in Ravenclaw tower, Rose was leading Callum to their dormitory. "Here we are," she said, and opened a wooden door. The room was decorated in navy and bronze, with blue hangings over their beds, and blue curtains over the window.

"Ah, look, they've added an extra bed already." Rose said, clearly relieved. "That's yours, then," she said, gesturing towards the bed.

Besides Rose and Callum, there were four other fifth-year Ravenclaw girls. Isadora Stire, a lovely blonde girl with big violet eyes; Hadil Shafiq, a tall, broad-shouldered girl; Katerina DiAngelo, who, from the stationary posters behind her bed, Callum assumed to be muggle-born, and Anne Dedder, whose green eyes and curly golden hair made her look like a fairy tale princess.

Each girl introduced herself, and offered directions to class, help with schoolwork, or anything Callum may find herself in need of. She accepted each offer, and after brushing her teeth quickly, settled down to sleep.

She had only been at Hogwarts for a few hours, but already she was beginning to feel welcome. She didn't even think about the Sorting Hat's comparison of herself to Harry Potter as she drifted off, her mind focused purely on her new home.

** Hazaa! Another chapter finished. Also, my longest chapter to date, so hurrah on that.**

** So, no confirmation on what exactly happened between Scorpius and Rose, but I gave you some hints. That counts for something, right?**

** Also, I can't seem to stop creating OC's. It's a problem, I know. In many cases, their parents are not OC, I can assure you. So like, the last name Shafiq is on Cantakerous Nott's list of 28 pureblood families, so I thought I'd add a Shafiq. The Zabini's, obviously, have a JK character. Anne Dedder is based off my friend, so, cheers Annie, if you actually read this. Text me if you do. Kylie, your character is coming. You can hold me to that.**

** So what do you guys think of the Zabini twins? I loved the idea of beautiful, supermodel, _nice_ Slytherins. So I threw them in. Also, I promise conflict is coming. I just love writing exposition. If I write another exposition-y chapter, I give you permission to flick me. Hard.**

** Sorry, I just remembered: Any thespians out there? Hit me up, PLEASE. I just got back from state and I wanna swap stories.**

** Also, I've got a theme going for chapter titles. Cookies for whoever figures it out first.**

** I think that's that. So, what happened between Rose and Scorpius? What happened last year at Salem? Will Yvonne and Scorpius' date go well or go down the toilet? Will I ever stop making Ocs?!**

** All shall be answered soon! (Maybe.)**

** Reviews are better than getting asked out by a beautiful girl. (Or boy. Or whatever floats your boat.)**

** Love, Lily. **


	4. One Short Day

The next day, Callum woke before everyone else in her dormitory. She sat up in her bed, stretching and yawning happily. The Ravenclaw decor in the room softened the light streaming in through the window.

Callum went quietly into the bathroom off the dormitory. There was a counter with a couple of sinks, several shower stalls, and a toilet. Everything in here was bronze, with navy accents, the inverse of the dormitory and the common room. Callum took a quick shower, trying not to wake her dorm-mates. As she stepped out and began groping for a towel, she heard a small gasp from behind. Callum whipped around and pressed her towel to her body.

Isadora, the willowy blonde girl, was standing at the sinks, her hand clasped over her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Callum!" She yelped, her hand still over her eyes. Callum could see that under her hand, her face was scrunched, as if she had her eyes shut as well.

"Oh, crap, no, Isadora, it's fine, really – no, it's my fault, here, I'm covered, you can take your hand away." Isadora slowly peeled her hand away from her face, her eyes still squinted. Once she had confirmed that Callum had, indeed, wrapped a towel around all the important bits, took the hand off completely.

She giggled nervously. "You know, you'd think I'd be used to seeing other girls bodies by now."

Callum raised her eyebrows as she wriggled into her underclothes under her towel. "What do you mean? Just because you've lived with other girls for so long?"

Isadora sighed and turned her back on Callum so that she could change easier. "Well, yes, but also, you know Katerina? Well, she's a bit of a... Well, I think Americans call them _hippies_. She's very into freedom of the body and all that, so she just walks around nude." Isadora giggled again. "The first day of first year, I was 11, and I had never seen another woman's body, and she just struts out of the bathroom, with absolutely nothing on! It was terrifying!"

Callum giggled with her. "And she does this all the time?"

Isadora nodded seriously. "Oh yes, and Hadil does too now. She doesn't flash it around as much as Kat, but it happens. Rose has done it several times too. I think even Anne tried it once, in third year, but she hasn't done it since. I'm the only one too modest to go parading my nether bits around the room."

Callum snorted. "You can turn around, now." Isadora did so, and they laughed again. "Can I ask you something?" Isadora nodded kindly. "Your accent, isn't that Queen's English?"

Isadora pulled out a hairbrush and began pulling it through her long, pale strands. "Yes, actually. I'm surprised you picked up on that. I didn't realize Americans knew so much about English accents." She looked sideways at Callum as if expecting an explanation, but Callum offered none. "Now, before I tell you this bit about my life, just know that this is not something I go bragging about. I don't tell people unless they come right out and ask me about it, and I only tell them _then_ because I hate lying. So don't think I'm bragging. Okay. So, my grandmother was actually a duchess. I'm, oh, I think I'm at 56th, now, in line for the Muggle British throne."

Callum whistled. "Shit. That's crazy. So, you were raised all... Proper?"

Isadora nodded. "Yes, I went to private school, and I never ate fast food, and I never wore jeans, and I know how to use any piece of silverware you could ever put in front of me."

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Katerina entered. "Urgh, is Dora bragging about her princess status again?" She said mockingly, and began undressing. Isadora and Callum shared an amused glance. "What are you, now, Dora? Thousand and three?"

Isadora rolled her eyes. "56th, thank you very much."

"56th?" This came from Hadil, who now entered the bathroom and began stripping. "I thought you were 57th."

"Yeah, I was last year, but there was a death, somewhere in the 30's, over the summer. Nobody you'd know, but I got bumped up."

"You're moving up in the world, Dora." said Katerina, leaning against the wall as she waited for her shower water to warm up. She was, as Isadora had said, completely nude. Callum had to tell herself not to look.

Rose walked in then, shirtless. "Oh, good, there's still a shower open."

Isadora groaned, exasperated. "Alright, that's it, it is too naked in here!" She grabbed Callum's wrist and led her out of the bathroom. "Let's go get some food while we've still got an appetite."

They met Scorpius and Albus in the common room. "Hello, boys," She said, looping one arm through Albus' and the other through Callum's. Scorpius walked next to Albus, and the quartet walked down to the Great Hall. "Callum's just been getting acquainted with the other girls." She said pointedly.

Albus nodded knowingly. "So, you saw them all naked?"

Callum laughed out of surprise. "You know about that?"

Scorpius and Albus chuckled. "Oh, yeah." said Scorpius, grinning. "Rose told us all about it in first year, and then last year, all us fifth year 'Claws sneaked into the Room of Requirement – I'll tell you about that, later – and we all got pretty drunk, and the girls had a ball talking about their frequent nudity."

"Yeah," added Isadora, "And the boys had a ball listening to them. And, for the record, _I_ was not drunk."

"Yes, Isadora is much too classy for anything fun." Albus whined dramatically.

When they arrived in the Entrance Hall, there were a couple of Slytherins waiting for them. It was the same pair that Adrienne, the bratty first year, had sat with the previous night. When they spotted the group, the girl jogged over gracefully, if that was even possible. The boy sauntered over as well, but slower, as if the group would wait for him.

"Hello, Scorpius!" the girl said lightly, and kissed him on the cheek. Scorpius looked startled, but recovered quickly. "Good morning, Yvonne." He turned to Callum. "Callum, this is Yvonne and Dorian Zabini. Fifth year Slytherins. We've been friends since way before Hogwarts. Za-twinis, this is Callum."

Yvonne smiled, and then turned back to Scorpius. "Callum, was it?" Callum turned. Dorian had his hand out and was smiling at her.

"Oh! Yes, I'm Callum. And you're Dorian?" Dorian nodded. Callum put her hand out to shake his, but Dorian took her hand and kissed it slowly. Callum just stared, open-mouthed. "Uh..."

"Ready for breakfast, Cal?" It was Isadora, and she looped her arm through Callum's, effectively taking it out of Dorian's grasp.

"Yes," Callum said quickly. "Yes, let's head in. I'll... See you around, Dorian." They hurried into the Great Hall with Albus, leaving Dorian with Scorpius and Yvonne.

"Well, he was rather creepy, wasn't he?" said Isadora, with a small shiver. "I hope I did the right thing, taking you away."

"Oh, yeah. Thank you. I kind of just froze."

"Yeah, Dorian's like that with girls." said Albus grimly. "He takes them for a spin, and leaves them behind. They let him too, because he's _just so dreamy_!" With this last part, Albus did a ridiculous little jumping spin, and nearly crashed into Professor Davies, who was walking down the aisle with a stack of papers in hand.

"Careful, Potter." He said, amused. "The ballet won't take you if you hurt yourself." Albus scowled, and Davies tapped a sheet of parchment with his wand, and handed it to Albus. "Your schedule. Try to stick to it this year, yeah?"

Albus muttered something sardonic and sat down. Davies handed another schedule to Isadora. Then he turned to Callum.

"Callum, I believe we've sufficiently gone over what you'll be taking? Potions, charms, defense against the dark arts, herbology, transfiguration, ancient runes, history of magic, and astronomy you had at Salem, and you needed one more class. Remind me what you chose?"

"Care of Magical Creatures."

"Perfect. You won't really miss the prior two years in that class." He handed her a schedule, and headed off to the next group of Ravenclaws who entered the hall.

"Yes!" Albus exclaimed from down the table. "Free period, charms, and then another free period. Looks like I get to sleep in on Thursdays. You aren't taking Muggle Studies, are you, Callum?"

Callum shook her head. "I am" said Isadora miserably. "It's awful. I thought it would be interesting to learn about the Muggle world from a wizard's point of view, plus I thought it'd be incredibly easy, but it's just turned out to be so dull."

Callum gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, but it was soon time for Isadora to go to class. Albus and Callum headed up to the Ravenclaw common room together, where they played exploding snap and chess until 10:30, when they packed up and headed off for charms with the Gryffindors.

First period Muggle studies had been rather uneventful, in the worst way. Rose's mum had encouraged her to take it, and she wished she had just done arithmancy like she'd wanted. But her mother had also warned against taking more than three electives – Rose didn't know why – and so she'd stuck with care of magical creatures, Muggle studies, and ancient runes.

When she and Isadora got to charms, Rose and Albus were arriving at the same time. Rose went to sit with Callum.

"So," Rose said, "How's your first day been?"

Callum smiled slyly. "Well, aside from the show in the bathroom this morning, it's been great." Rose felt herself flush. "I had a free period first, and Albus and I hung out. And I think I got hit on."

"What? By who?" Rose said, grinning. She liked that Callum was sharing this with her, even if they had only met just yesterday.

"Oh, that tall, _gorgeous_ Slytherin. Dorian, I think his name is. It's too bad he was so creepy."

Rose nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, he's like that."

Callum shrugged. "So, how long has Scorpius been dating his girlfriend?"

"_What?!_" Rose shrieked, and then blushed. "Scorpius doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Well, then why did that girl kiss him?"

"What girl?" Rose didn't like the way she could feel her face heat up or how her heart fluttered in her chest.

"Dorian's sister, Yvonne. When we got to the Entrance Hall this morning, she came up to him and kissed him on the cheek."

Rose almost laughed out loud. "Yvonne? No. No, they are _not_ dating. She probably just whispered something in his ear. You must have just seen wrong."

Callum shook her head. "No, she definitely kissed him." She peered closer at Rose's face. "Are you alright? You're starting to look a little green."

"I'm fine," Rose snapped. She rested her head on her arms as Professor Harding took her podium.

She was _not_ jealous. Absolutely not. She was the one who shut Scorpius down. So if he wanted to get with another girl, as screwy a relationship as it would create, she did not care.

She kept trying to convince herself throughout the rest of Charms.

It had little effect.

**I've been working on this ALL NIGHT.**

** Crikey. **

** So there's more introduction to the Ravenclaw girls in this chapter. I adora Isadora. (Wow I didn't mean to write "adora" there I meant "adore" but thats so cute I'm keeping it.) I've got my little hippie Italian girl and that makes me happy. Hopefully it makes you guys happy. I don't know about everywhere else, but where I'm from, your friend group is who you'd be comfortable being naked around, whether theoretically or in practice.**

** I don't have much to say on this chapter. I didn't get any reviews last chapter :( so I can't really respond. Do you love it? Do you hate it? Are you incredibly indifferent? TELL MEEEEE. I'm vain and I want to know that people are paying attention to me.**

** Also, my birthday is Friday. So it can totally be your birthday present to me ;D**

** Nobody has figured out the connection between the chapter titles yet... you may get a promo if you're the first...**

** Alright. That's all.**

** Reviews are having an abundance of free periods.**

** Love, Lily.**


	5. The Confrontation

Rose set down the old plaque she'd been polishing and flexed her arm, wincing in pain. Her elbow was stiff from having been bent, scrubbing trophies and plaques, for the past hour. She glared over at Scorpius, who didn't look up from the trophy in his hand. "Gettin' sore there, Weasley?" Filch said from the corner. He must've been about 80 by now, but he stuck stubbornly to his work of keeping Hogwarts castle clean.

"Oh, quit whining, Rosie." Scorpius drawled, not bothering to look at her. "After all, it is your fault we're here."

"My fault?!" Rose scoffed. "As I remember, _you_ fired first!"

"How, even in your demented brain, could you spin this to be my fault?" Scorpius said, incredulous.

"All right! Tha's enough outta the two o' you!" Filch attempted to bellow, but his voice was weak. "Get back to work or I'll extend your detention. How'd you like to come back next Saturday, eh?" He chuckled darkly to himself, and shortly fell asleep. Rose knew that it wasn't actually within Filch's power to extend a detention, but she went sulkily back to polishing.

It had been 2 weeks since the start of term, and for Rose, mostly everything was going swimmingly.

Mostly.

Scorpius and Yvonne's relationship was growing steadily, and, to Rose's displeasure, she was becoming more agitated with the pair of them every day. It was only in rare moments – in the common room, or in classes the Ravenclaws did not share with the Slytherins – that Rose found herself able at all to be around Scorpius. If there was any upside to the whole ordeal, it was that her friendship with Callum was blossoming. The new girl still refused to talk about America or Salem, but as long as Rose didn't bring any of that up, Callum was lovely.

Friday, in defense against the dark arts, they began work on counterjinxes. Professor Gold, whose methods Rose had decided were rocky at best, told them to get in pairs. One partner would jinx the other, while the other would attempt to block it. They were told to use non-harmful jinxes only, but Merlin only knew how long that would last.

"Rosie!" Scorpius called. "Partners?" Rose looked around. Callum and Albus were already together, as were the other Ravenclaw girls. "Yeah, alright." As far as Scorpius knew, their friendship was about as good as it had always been, aside from a bit of awkwardness after the night at Hogsmeade station.

"Look at that," Scorpius said, watching Callum and Albus laugh. "You don't think that's gonna turn into something, do you?"

Rose shrugged. "From what I've heard, Dorian's got it on for her."

Scorpius smirked. "Yeah, but Dorian's got it on for everyone. You should know that better than anyone."

Rose groaned. "Scor, that was _second year_!"

"And you were still convinced it was love." Scorpius grinned.

"Yeah, till that day Isadora saw him snogging Elise Glover in the owlry!"

Scorpius let out a bark of laughter. "You were only together for two weeks, and he went and cheated."

"Yeah, you'd better hope his sister's different." As soon as she said it, Rose regretted it.

Scorpius shook his head. "That's not funny, Rose."

"I know. I didn't mean to... I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

Rose stared at him, stunned. "What? What's that supposed to- Why would you- I don't" She spluttered, trying desperately to string some form of coherent thought together.

"Oh, come off it, Rose." Scorpius said. Rose knew he was angry, but she could also see in his eyes how hurt he was. "I've known from day one that you weren't supportive of me and Yvonne!"

"No, Scorpius, that's not true I-"

"Stop LYING!" Scorpius shouted. The room was silent. Everyone turned and stared at the pair. "Oh, go back to your knitting, you lot." Scorpius growled, and their classmates obeyed, save Albus and Callum, who looked on nervously.

"Come on, Rose, let's just practice." Scorpius muttered, and they walked away from each other until they were about ten feet apart. "Ladies first," Scorpius said, mock-cordially.

Rose did not hesitate, and threw at Scorpius a jelly-legs jinx, which hit him square in the chest. He collapsed. Rose smirked as he did the counter-curse and pulled himself up. He cast his own jelly-legs jinx, which Rose blocked effortlessly. She then cast a bat bogey hex, which Scorpius blocked, and then he returned fire. They continued in this fashion for several minutes, neither of them getting a hit, both sweating, throwing jinxes more rapidly and with riskier outcomes, until –

"STUPEFY!" bellowed Scorpius. In her shock, Rose did not even think to put up a shield. The spell hit her in the stomach, and she flew backward into a desk, hitting her head. She shook off the pain, as her classmates gasped. Someone shrieked. She stood, shakily, staring astonished at Scorpius, who glared at her, not for a moment regretting his spell. They stared at each other for several long moments, broken by Rose doing to Scorpius what he had just done to her: Stunning him. He was fortunate to not be standing in front of any desks, and so he hit the ground and managed to not hit his head.

Scorpius stood, and they began firing curses at each other, much more violently than before. The rest of class watched, or so Rose assumed. Truthfully, she had no idea what they did. She was too focused on the enemy at had: her best friend.

After about a minute, Rose felt a spell hit her in the small of the back. She felt her legs and arms lock together, and she began to fall forward. Someone caught her, and held her upright. She saw the same thing happen to Scorpius.

Professor Gold walked into the area between the two. "That, is _enough_!" He squawked. "While it was a truly spectacular display of shield charms, I will not tolerate such recklessness in my class! Now," He said, and undid the spell on the both of them. "Detention, Saturday night. Argus was just telling me yesterday how the trophies were in need of polishing..."

At 11, Filch woke up and dismissed them, a half hour later. "You, know, this wouldn't have happened if you could just admit you have feelings for me" Scorpius muttered as they walked towards Ravenclaw tower.

"Shut it, Malfoy. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Rose, please." Scorpius walked in front of her and stopped.

"Scorpius, can we not do this right now? We just got out of detention, and I'm a prefect, and I'll be behind on homework, and it's just way too late for this shit, okay?" Rose heard her voice crack, and she swallowed.

"Rosie," Scorpius said, taking hold of her arms. "I don't want to be with Yvonne. I never have, you know that."

"Now who's lying?" She muttered, and looked up at him. "It's like you said, Scor. You guys are meant for each other. Your families have been planning this since you were born."

"That doesn't mean we're meant for each other." Scorpius murmured. Rose barely noticed his hand on the side of her neck, the other on the back of her head, as he leaned towards her.

And then they were kissing.

Rose wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself into him. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he curled his arms around her waist.

"Scor," she whispered. "You have a-"

"Rosie, please." He lightly brushed his lips against hers, and then gestured with his head to the hallway around them. "Don't you know where we are?"

Rose looked to the wall on her left, and Scorpius mirrored her. There was a large, ornate wooden door.

"The room of requirement," Rose sighed, smiling. "How did I forget? We were here so much..."

"The only question is," Scorpius mumbled "Whose thoughts brought it here?"

"Who cares about that?" Rose smirked. "Are we going in or not?"

The two grinned at each other, as if they already knew the answer.

They intertwined their hands, and entered the room, which contained all they needed.

** Wow. Was there ever a bigger asshole than me? It's been almost 3 weeks since my last update. I feel like a total dick.**

** I'd like to blame this on prom, but that was only one weekend, so I'm not sure I really can. (It was fab, btw.)**

** In any case, I hope I made up for my tardiness with a dramatic chapter. I hadn't really counted on it ending that way, but it happened, and there was no way in hell I was gonna go back and change it. There's also like, no Callum in this chapter, but whatever.**

** On the subject of the chapter titles, the connection is between all of them, not each of them and the title of the story (which is a reference to the Salem Witch Trials). I think there was some confusion on that. So – There is a connection between each of the following: 1. Look Down; 2. There's No Cure Like Travel; 3. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here; 4. One Short Day; and now, 5. The Confrontation.**

** I'm excited for someone to figure it out!**

** That's it for now! Reviews are hot kisses with hot people ;) *heart flutters***

** Love, Lily**


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